September, 1977 Pages
Tuition Takes a Cross Country Hike
By Steve Lemken
(CPS) -- In the wake of the an
nouncement of Carters budget for
higher education which slashed
campus-based student aid by $582
million and reduced the number of
awards available by 885,0(K), the
nation-wide tuition increases are
hitting students like a funeral hits
the closest of kin. Students are going
to dig harder and deeper for the cash
or else many may have to quit until,
or unless, funds become accessible.
Up in the Big Sky country of
Montana, non-resident tuition fees
upped $400 while residents will have
to pay one dollar more for each
quarter hour of credit. At the
University of Montana, the non
resident student will be paying
$1,921 and many of them will be
hard-pressed to come up with the
additional funds. Many of the
students polled by the campus
newspaper felt that it was unfair
that the non-resident fees were in
creased so much more than resident
fees.
Tuition hikes across the country
range from six to 20 percent. Many
reasons are cited for these actions,
but the prevailing . cause is that
maintenance , fuel costs, and
salaries for faculty and other em
ployees have skyrocketed, with
university officials holding little
hope for relief. Contractual
agreements at many schools,
combined with an unwillingness at
the state and federal level to loosen
the cash flow to higher education
leave administration trudging a
familiar road looking for funds. The
costs are, quite simply, being
passed on to the students.
At thee University of Chicago an
eight percent increase has been
recommended, which would be, in
tuition costs, an additional $1(X) oyer
this years fee of $3,527. The
suggestions for that schools budget
also include a further reduction of
faculty.
Stanford University in California
will increase tuition to $4,695 with
basic room and board charges upped
to $1,970. This represents an overall
increase of nearly 10 percent.
WilliamsCollegein
Massachusetts says its operating
costs will climb from $17.5 million
this year to about $18.3 million next
year. Students there will probably
see a 7.7 percent hike which totals
$5,955 for 1977-78. The added fees are
expected to be used for faculty
salaries and scholarships.
Pennsylvanian students have been
told that the governor^ budget will
be an austere one and they face a $50
- 100 increase in the fall. Students
were also warned that there will be
less educational assistance money
which is usually increased whenever
tuition is increased. A director of the
statewide student association said
that the increase “is no service
increase’and that it is only an at-
temp to maintain the present
situation. Officials fear that
enrollments will drop, adding to the
current anticipated lack of
resources.
In Ohio, students may get an in
crease even though the governor has
included in his budget an increase to
state-supported colleges and
universities. Added costs due to the
severe weather this winter are
making college officials and state
representatives skeptical as to
whether or not the budget is
adequate.
In a t| least one area students are
gearing up to fight back at attemps
to hike tuition. In Oregon, lobbyists
from Oregon Student Lobby (OSL)
are vying for six percent decrease
while the stated Educational
Coordinating Board recommends a
six percent increase. The student
lobby is calling for the decrease to
bring the cost of higher education in
Oregon more in line with the
national average.
Kirby Garrett, coordinator for the
OSL, said that since 1969, Oregon
educational costs have increased 66
percent, while the national higher ed
price index increased 55 percent.
Yet Kirby points out, student in
struction fees (tuition) has in
creased 83 percent and he considers
that an unfair proportion. The OSL
Board of Commisioners has also
recommended a tuition freeze non
resident graduates and non-resident
undergraduates fees.
Garret is optimistic about the
goals of the OSL. He said the
students are concerned and sup
portive. The • OSL is beginning a
grass-roots campaign to inform
students and urge them to write and
phone as part of a coordinated lobby
effort.
But again, as always, students
have little say in the budget
recommendations of most state
legislatures. Higher education is
usually considered a frill, and with
the taxpayers breathing down their
necks for less spending, there is a
tendency to start the trimming at
the colleges first.
Epicure Is A Success
“Quite an improvement over last
year! is the commonly shared
response of students eating at
Howerton CaTjeteria this year. The
cafeteria came under the new
management of Epicure Catering
Services following much
dissatisfaction by students and
faculty about last year’s food. Jim
E. King, the Director of Dining
Services, was well pleased with the
students response which praised the
food. Yet nothing is perfect.
Although the students like the
food immeasurably, they do have
two major {objections. The first
complaint concerns the practice of
checking IDs as the students enter
the cafeteria, and the second centers
around the method of ’obtaining
seconds. Mr. King had this to say
about the first complaint, “Until we
can get to know every student we
need the I.D. checking system. We
are new to you, and you are new to
us. It’s going to take a little time.’
‘Time’ according to King will be
defined as the next few weeks.
As for seconds, the students
complain that by having to go all
the way to the end of the line
(sometimes 30 to 50 people long), it
consumes the time that they need to
get to classes. Students asked why
they couldn’t simply get seconds the
first time through, or why not tear
down the partition and let students
break line for seconds as they did
last year. Mr. King pointed out the
fact that the persons wanting
seconds are not the only ones in a
hurry. The people waiting in line for
their firsts would not appreciate
other people getting in front of them
and slowing them down. To tear
down the partition and break line
wciDldicause (the same problem of
way-laying the persons already in
line.
The first suggestion of getting
seconds the first time through, Mr.
King considers feasible in the future.
The reason this practice cannot
begin now is due to the fact that
Epicure has not had enough time to
gauge our eating hibits. They
realize it is our money they are using
and do not want to waste food by
over-preparing, nor do they want not
to prepare enough. When Epicure
gets an idea of what and how much
we eat , then the idea of getting
firsts and seconds simultaneously
will be probable. Until then Mr.
King feels that everyone should get
their initial share, and then seconds
be considered. As the process of
Igetting acquaintedlcontmues (word
to the wise might be to just sit back
and enjoy your ice cream!
Schedule Qianges People
With the beginning of another
school year, there are many ad
justments for the incoming fresh
men. This year, the faculty and
returning students are also making
a change with the new schedule
program.
The 75-minute Tuesday and
Thursday classes have been
eliminated and replaced with 50-
minute periods. Why? According tn
Lenore Saunders, the registrar, and
George Adams, chairman of
Academic Affairs Committee, there
were several key reasons for the
modification.
“Professors felt many courses
needed to meet 3 times a week
rather than twice a week,’ com
mented Mrs. Saunders. She went on
to say that “the grades of students in
the same classes that met 3 times a
week were higher than those that
only met twice a week.’
Equal time for classes is another
reason,’said Mr. Adams. , “Most
I^ple (student and faculty)' didn’t
like the long Tuesday-Thursday
classes. The major complaint from
students on class evaluation was
that 75-minutes was just too long,’he
adds.
“So far, the new schedule has been
more effective than the other one,’
said Mrs. Saunders. They
(students) have to do more studying
because they meet more often.’
Mrs. Saunders has not heard of
any dissatisfied students or faculty
members.
She noted that “there has been a
very positive reaction to it. The only
problem is learning where to be and
when to be there.’
Up to this time, the only future
adjustment to the schedule is that
there will probably be a few course
added. As long as the majority
supports it, the new schedule will be
con'tjinued.
Davis First Floor Continues
Lovings Ways
So as to continue in the tradition of
being dorm hall, first floor
residents of Davis Dorm gifted
every girl on compus with a flower
Sunday morning. Sept. 4. Every
flower was a daisy, lilly, or carntion
except for those presented to the hall
counselors which were roses.
The spokesman for the hall, who
wished to remain anonymous.
stated, “This is just our way of
showing the girls how much we love
them. It also may help us not to lose
so severly when the homecoming
dance comes up.’
Davis First Floor has further
plans for the remainder of the year
directed towards charming the MAC
women. Details were not available.